Topic not covered?

Only Uniform pen profile draws in Videoscribe

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Wayne McHugh

Started a topic Mon, 8 Aug, 2016 at 12:57 PM

Hi folks. I am producing some of my own svg files from Adobe Illustrator CS5. I am finding that the only pen width profile that draws in Videoscribe is "Uniform". Is this as designed, or is there something I'm missing? If it's as designed that's a shame - it means I can't draw some very nice lines with effects.

Perhaps most importantly, start with simple drawings while you follow this guide and figure these things out. large, detailed complicated images will involve multiple complications that will just confuse you and make the learning process frustrating.

By default, videoscribe prefers basic stroked paths. This is working as intended.

You can make videoscribe draw your color fills by preparing your svg images a certain way.You can also show videoscribe how to draw paintbrush strokes and some other styles by preparing your svgs a certain way. If you use paintbrush strokes AND color fills in the same SVG... you may have a difficult time getting videoscribe to draw the paintbrush strokes without accidentally revealing some of the color fills at the same time.

the more styles, effects, and other data you add to your SVG the more difficult it will be to make it work "right"

If you are using a version of inkscape or illlustrator newer than 2013 then you should also check out the saving options in the first link to reduce the amount of excess data in your svg that might cause problems.

An interesting development - this morning I did a very basic test using different width profiles, with just one path in the SVG, using the pen tool. It drew correctly in Videoscribe. This, I presume, is as designed. In the more complex image yesterday, following all the advice I've found, the drawing of the path is omitted in Videoscribe unless I use "uniform" width profile for the pen tool. This does not seem as designed. Maybe the pattern of behaviour will become clearer over time, but any insight would be appreciated.

Mike, I appreciate you responding, but it doesn't seem to address my actual post.

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Mike Metcalf

On Tue, 9 Aug, 2016 at 1:50 AM

I would definitely be interested to see SVGs that do not behave in the ways described in my previous posts if you wouldn't mind attaching them.

-Mike(videoscribe user)

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Wayne McHugh

On Tue, 9 Aug, 2016 at 2:49 AM

Mike, I attached two SVGs to my original post. The only difference between them is one uses the "Uniform" variable width profile for the lines drawn by the pen tool, and the other uses a different profile. Videoscribe draws the uniform one with lines, but for the other Videoscribe skips the drawing of lines and goes straight to the colours.

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Mike Metcalf

On Tue, 9 Aug, 2016 at 4:16 AM

Hi Wayne,

I have seen the SVGs attached to your original post,
which actually behave as described in the first link I provided.
(Videoscribe will generally draw uniform/basic stroked paths but not tapered or paintbrush style strokes. Videoscribe regards paintbrush style strokes and other tapered strokes
as though they are color fills instead of stroked paths, so they are not
"drawn" by the videoscribe hand by default, however they can be "revealed" by
any transparent uniform/basic stroked paths that you include to reveal
your color fills. In SVGs that contain no uniform/basic stroked paths at all , the color fills and paintbrush strokes will all simply
appear or in some cases be lightly outlined by the drawing hand and then appear.)

You
said " this morning I did a very basic test using different width
profiles, with just one path in the SVG, using the pen tool. It drew
correctly in Videoscribe. " That's what I was curious to see.

I'll probably make a 2016 update of the SVG tips thread in case it does not explain these topics clearly enough.

-Mike (videoscribe user)

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Wayne McHugh

On Tue, 9 Aug, 2016 at 5:13 AM

Thanks Mike. That last made sense. My test this morning did indeed thinly trace the outline of the stroke and then the filled stroke appeared. And it was in the absence of any colours or any other complexity, and it is indeed much less effective than the line drawing with the uniform width profile. At least I understand, and confess I failed to understand your original explanation by a monumental distance.

Thanks for the additional info. I hope I'll have some time this week to write a new version of that other thread explaining things more clearly.

to make a reveal path for your a-test:1) I duplicated that white filled path in the bottom layer2) converted the new copy of the path to a basic stroked path (stroked, not filled)3) (made sure the new basic stroked path covered the tapered line art. it may be easier if you make the basic stroked path a different color)4) then changed the opacity of the basic stroked path to 0%The basic stroked path will be "drawn" by the videoscribe hand and will reveal any art (on other layers) that it overlaps. (the reveal path can be above or below the other layers. it doesn't matter)

Note: because the basic stroked path is a uniform width, it may reveal bits of other lines or color fills that it overlaps. It is not always a perfect solution.